MY COMMENTS :
The book The City of the Sun, written by the author Campanella, one of the leading representatives of the Italian Renaissance who lived in the 16th century, is considered one of the masterpieces that the author wrote during his imprisonment years, when he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Inquisition.
In the work, the management of an island state called the The City of the Sun with the most ideal form of government and education for humanity is discussed in a utopian narrative.
As one of the forms of government that was frequently discussed by the author, especially in his period, absolute monarchy is mentioned as a management model in which the power changes according to aristocratic foundations rather than lineage. In this respect, it can be said that the work is based on Socrates' definition of the ideal state. However, the author, who is highly critical of Socrates' concept of family and the reproductive system, offers a different alternative in this regard, stating that the loss of the family structure will cause radical harm to society.
One of the main reasons why the designed country has utopian qualities is that the rules accept people as honest and trustworthy. On the other hand, sanctions are also mentioned in some places to appear realistic and show that measures are being taken. It can be said that one of the main contradictions appears here. If a state where everything is based on the ideal human being takes into account that its people still resort to bad actions despite all the education and imposes serious sanctions on this, it shows that it is aware of its own utopia and is talking about a dream that is difficult to realize.
Although at first glance it seems that there are some deficiencies in the country's justice system, some of the models he mentioned, especially regarding the education system, seem to be applicable in the modern world. In particular, the model prepared for directing children at an early age to branches that require agriculture, mastery, physical or mental development according to their abilities is quite impressive. It also contains important messages that foreign language teaching should be done at a very young age.
It is stated that the country's administration is administered by a ruler and his 3 deputies. The ruler also has the title of high priest. However, it is stated here that the title of priest requires both intense knowledge of other religions and significant competence in every branch of positive sciences. It is mentioned that if another person has these elements, this person can claim the right of Hoh and overthrow the current ruler. In this respect, it is based on the fact that the power is deemed appropriate as an absolute monarchy, but that the most competent person among the aristocrats receives his rights without being reduced to lineage. However, as it sounds, it stands out as a structure that can leave room for quite arbitrary power discussions.
It has been stated that the country's forces, which are said to have mastered many war tricks in military terms, should embrace some methods such as the Turan tactic used by the Turks, especially in the battlefield. Although this issue is not explicitly dedicated to the Turks by the author, considering the period in which the work was written, it shows that the military success of the Turks constitutes an example for the West.
As a result, although the work contains some messages that should be examined and taken as an example as a philosophical book trying to find the ideal form of state, it seems to be far from applications since it is generally in the utopian genre. However, considering the period in which it was written, it should be stated that it is among the books that should be examined.
MY QUOTES(*) :
He spent 30 years of his life in prison. This period was extremely productive for Campanella, and he wrote many books, especially Metaphysics and The Redemptive Monarchy, and his most important work, The State of the Sun, in 1602.
He defended the existence of human experience as the basis of philosophy. According to Campanella, all people are united by the natural bond of religion.
Drawing a picture of a society he considered ideal, Campanella advocated a state in which science and philosophy would dominate, as in Plato's ideal state. Those who govern the state are those who are best trained in theory and practice. In his book, the State of the Sun, which a Portuguese sailor found on an island in the Indian Ocean, is headed by a ruler who is both a philosopher and a priest. On this island, all citizens live under the strict control of the state, and a full partnership is implemented to ensure that the state is permanent and strong. There is no private property in this state; The benefit of the community comes to the fore in every matter. ( Excerpts from the preface and the author's life section )
The biggest ruler of the city is a high priest. People call him Hoh. If we were you, we would call you metaphysician. He is the head of both worldly affairs and the affairs of the hereafter. His authority is absolute. The judgments he makes are final; no one can raise a voice against them.
The metaphysician, together with his three assistants, manages all the affairs of the city from above: nothing is done without his wishes. These four people manage all the affairs of the state, but whatever the metaphysician decides, the three assistants obey him.
We have more confidence in such a wise man's ability to govern the state well than you - who have often appointed ignorant people as your rulers and considered them fit to govern simply because they came from the line of rulers or were elected by a powerful party. Because you call those who know the rules of grammar and logic of Aristotle or others the most, and thus in your country, science is a job that only requires tedious work and slavish memorization. This dulls a person's thinking, prevents him from going deeper into things, causes him to be satisfied with a lot of verbiage, degrades his soul, and fills his head with the dead words of books. Therefore, such scholars do not know how God governs all beings, the rules and customs of nature and nations. Moreover, in our opinion, a person who devotes himself to only one science and is satisfied with books alone is a person whose mind is not fully developed and worthless.
When the time comes, the head midwife opens the doors for the man and the woman. The astrologer and the doctor decided in advance, by looking at the stars, the most suitable time for the couples to be united and the children to be born.
Sun Cities do not fear death. Because they believe in the immortality of the soul. According to them, the soul that leaves the body meets with good or bad souls, depending on its good or bad behavior in earthly life.
Sometimes they pretend to retreat: each soldier quickly retreats and joins his own flag. The enemy, thinking that the Sun Cities people left the battlefield and fled or attempted to escape, attacked; But the Sun Cities immediately form groups into two joined wings, then rest for a moment and take a breath. These intermediate cannons disperse the enemy by showering them with bullets. The Sun Cities use many war tricks of this kind. (Turanian tactics and military tactics from the time of Mete Khan are included.)
The person at the head of each business group is called the king. But this name is given to the masters of the craft. Men and women follow their kings in orderly groups, going about their business in orderly groups. If you see it, your heart will overflow with respect.
The rule they follow in terms of food is this: They eat meat one day, fish the other day, and vegetables the other day. On the fourth day, they return to meat so that their stomachs do not get tired and the organism does not become weak.
The working body sweats; Otherwise, it throws out poisonous vapors that spoil the blood and marrow. Tuberculosis is one of the rare diseases in the Land of the Sun. Because the lungs of Güneş Cities are not poisoned by harmful tissue fluids. As for epileptic seizures, they prevent them by suddenly frightening the patient or by making him drink the juice of certain herbs.
Under the rule of Reason, one of Hoh's assistants, there are: Grammar, logic and physics scholars, physician, politician, moralist, economist, astrologer, cosmographer, geometer, mathematician, musician, poet, wordsmith, painter, sculptor. People who are responsible for tasks such as reproduction, education, clothing, agriculture and animal breeding are dependent on Love. Officials who deal with war tricks, weapon making, financial affairs, architecture, reconnaissance, infantry, cavalry, artillery units and recruiting soldiers are also under the command of the Power. Those who have the authority to judge are also dependent on the Power.
Only the people impose the death penalty; they kill the criminal by shooting or stoning him. The accusers and witnesses cast the first stone.
Since the people of Güneş Kent always live and work together, in order to accuse someone, it is necessary to find at least five witnesses whose statements agree with each other. If there are fewer than this number of witnesses, the defendant is released after swearing that he is not guilty and is warned to be careful not to appear before the judge again. If the defendant ignores these warnings and comes before the judge for the second time with an accusation, this time two or three witnesses are enough for him to receive double the punishment.
If all perversions, famines and wars frequently cause troubles in human societies, this is because people act contrary to reason instead of restraining their sexual instincts and following the path shown by reason. However, it should also be acknowledged that there are no situations in which a person becomes so justified in his anger that he drags himself into a just war.
It is a natural right for people to study God's works, to travel the world, to conduct research, and to leave nothing untested. But citizens in such a state will be no different from priests who learn everything from books. If they come across something that is not in the books, they will be stunned. As a matter of fact, they do not attach much importance to Galileo's thoughts at the moment, and they do not believe that Colombo found a new world, just because St. Augustine does not accept it.
This state order (Land of the Sun) is the best order, and the most important thing is that it is established and functions well as well as being long-lasting.
Disorder and disorder are the source of evil, and every need that forces us to do good is a happy need. If you pay attention, you will see that if believers move away from religion, it is not because of the strictness of religious rules, but rather because they fall in love with non-religious people, pursue fame and honor, are carried away by the love of wealth and desires of the flesh.
They say that Socrates considers it necessary for a state to have certain classes, such as soldiers, craftsmen and administrators, for good governance. Accordingly they say; If everything is shared, everyone becomes a soldier to get rid of heavy field work, and in wartime, they want to work in the fields and do not want to fight without getting paid; Or everyone aspires to be a ruler, a judge, a priest. Thus, while giving higher ranks to some, the burdens of others are increased, while some work less, others work more, and in the end, injustice and unfairness arise again. For him, the best thing is to give up the property partnership.
Socrates says that if everyone considers the elderly as parents, the young as children, and their peers as brothers, love and respect among citizens will increase. But then the love of every old man for the young melts away like a drop of honey poured into too much water; This love disappears immediately because no father can recognize his own child and no child can recognize his own father. Disagreements will arise between women, especially between fathers and children of unknown origin.
The heresy of the Nicolaitans was this: According to them, a man could sleep with any woman he wanted, whenever he wanted. This, as said before, is against natural law and also prevents the reproduction of the human race. In our Land of the Sun, unions are made in accordance with the rules of philosophy and astrology, and care is taken to ensure that the children to be born are both good and numerous.
MY REVIEWS:
Subject : In the work, the subject of the work is a utopian narrative in which an island state called the Land of the Suns is equipped with the most ideal forms of management and education for humanity.
Style: It is seen that the style used by the author from the beginning to the end of the work is quite simple and understandable. In this respect, the work has drawn a portrait for the reader of the country it wants to describe with the messages it wants to give, and has managed to explain important examples in terms of some management models in a clear language.
Originality : Considering the management style it proposes, the work cannot be considered as a very original work as it deals with alternative methods of previously tried and considered models rather than suggesting extraordinary management styles.
Character : The work will not be evaluated in this category due to its quality.
Fluency : Considering the issues mentioned in the Style section, it is obvious that the work should not be expected to be gripping due to its subject. According to his style, it can be seen that he has succeeded in achieving a clear modeling of the country's management type that he wants to convey to the reader in a fluent language.
General : In the evaluation made out of 10 in accordance with the above-mentioned criteria:
Topic: 8
Style: 8
Originality: 6
Fluency: 8
The overall average score of the work is 7.5 points . Although it could not reach the 8 threshold, it should be noted that the work, which exceeded the 7 threshold, is one of the state utopias that should definitely be examined due to its type.
(*) : All parts in the Quotations heading:
THE CITY OF THE SUN
Author : Tommaso Campanella
Publisher : Olympia Publications
Edition : 1st Edition - Istanbul 2023
The photo used on the cover was used as a quote from the book.
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